Photocomposing machine



April 3, 1951 T. HOMMEL PHOTOCOMPOSING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 8, 1946 //\/l/E/\J r01? THEODORE HOMMEL April 3, 1951 "r. HOMMEL PHOTOCOMPOSING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 8, 1946 //\/\/EN7 01" THEODORE HOMMEL April 3, 1951 -r HOMMEL 2,547,527

PHOTOCOMPOSING MACHINE Filed May 8, 1946 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 r vmv 7-0, THEODQRE Ham M EL April 3, 1951 T. HOMMEL. 2,547,527

I PHOTOCOMPOSING MACHINE Filed May 8, 1946 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 film/Iii /l/EN7 0R THEODORE HOMMEL April 3, 1951 T. HOMMEL 2,547,527

PHOTOCOMPOSING MACHINE Filed May 8, 1946 e Sheets-Sheet 5 villi/A April 1951 T. HOMMEL PHOTOCOMPOSING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed May 8, 1946 Patented Apr. 3, 1951 UNITED STATES ?ATENT PHOTQCGMPGSING MACHINE Application May 8, 1946, Serial No. 668,178

8 Claims. 1

This invention relates in general to improved equipment and methods for photoengraving and, more particularly, to a type of photocomposing machine which may be referred to as a cylinder step-up machine.

In making photoengraved printing rolls and plates for use in conjunction with intaglio, offset, or letter-press printing presses, it common practice to sensitize a carefully machined and polished fiat or cylindrical surface by applying thereto a suitable light sensitive emulsion or chemical and thereupon exposing the sensitized surface through a suitable negative by conventional photographic technique, so that the design on the negative will be photographically imprinted upon the sensitized surface. Thereafter, the sensitized surface is subjected to a conventional series of chemical processes or developed, as it is commonly called, and, as a re sult, the design is imprinted upon the surface of the roller plate.

In most modern highspeed printing processes, it is necessary to have the design repeated successively a number of times upon the prin g plate or roller in order that a plurality of the image-units may be printed during each cycle of the printing press. For example, on a rotary type of press, the design to be printed Will be photoengraved upon a roller and will be repeated a number of times around the surface of the roller, so that the design, in effect, will form a continuous band or a continuous succession of uniformly spaced image-units and can be printed. Without interruption as sheets, strips, or webs of stock are fed through the press. The repetitive use of the design makes it necessary hat the design be laid out and drawn upon the negative, so that it Will have a width precisely equal to some aliquot portion of the circumferential length of the roller. For example, a roller having a circumferential length of exactly twelve inches would accommodate six repeats of a design having a width of exactly two inches. Because of unavoidable errors of draftsinanship in drawing the design of the negative, as Well errors and tolerances of machining in and polishing the printing roll, the design ma be several hundredths of an inch over or under size and the roller may be several dredths of an inch over size or under size. Sean-etimes these deviations may be corrective and other times accumulative, with the result that in most cases there is a slight overlapping or deviation between two adjacent repeats of the design and, since such an error will cause a misprinting on two repeats, the net result is that one-third of the product is improperly printed may even require rejection. This type of error becomes particularly serious when a set of rollers is being prepared for multi-color printing operations. duce faulty registration of the several colors and frequently destroys the value of the entire piece of work.

It is hence the primary object of the present invention to provide a photocomposing machine of the cylinder step-up type which is simple and economical and is capable of extremely precise construction and operation, so that mechanical errors in the production of image-units or socalled repeats is substantially eliminated.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a machine of the type stated which may be employed in a manner so that any errors, mechanical or otherwise, which may exist, either in the negative or the sensitized cylinder, will be distributed uniformly and evenly between all of the several repeats of the photoengrave design so as to be substantially unnoticeable in the finished Work.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a machine of the type stated in which the negative and the several repeats on the sensitized cylinder are registered from the center of the design, so that improved accuracy of registration may be achieved in multi-color printing operations.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a machine of the type stated which is so simple in operation that there is virtually no possibility of error due to faulty manipulation on the part of the operator.

It is likewise an object of the present invention to provide a machine of the type stated in 1 which a comparatively small film negative is required, so that errors due to atmospheric conditions, shrinkage, and distortion of the film are substantially prevented.

It is furthermore an object of the present inven on to provide a machine of the type stated having means for holding the film negative in close precise contact with the sensitized surface of th cylinder in order to assure photoengraving ne, precise detail.

with the above and other objects in View, y -.ivention resides in the novel features of form, construction, arrangement, and combination of parts resently described and pointed out in the claims.

In such cases, the errors will pro- In the accompanying drawings (six sheets)- Figure 1 is a side elevational View of a cylinder step-up machine constructed in accordance with and embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged side elevational view, partly broken away and in section, of the cylinder step-up machine;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary top plan View of the cylinder step-up machine;

Figure 4 is an end eievatioilal view of the cylinder step-up machine;

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of Figure 3;

Figures 6, '2', and 8 are transverse sectional views taken along the lines tl6, ll, and 88, respectively, of Figure 2;

Figures 9 and 10 are fragmentary sectional views taken along the lines 9-9 and Ifilii, respectively, of Figure 8;

Figure 11 is a fragmentary exploded View of the negative holder forming a part of the present invention;

Figure 12 is a fragmentary assembled view of the negative holder of the present invention;

Figure 13 is a perspective View of a finished sensitized cylinder;

Figure 14 is a transverse sectional view show ing the cylinder step-up machine adjusted for operation upon a sensitized cylinder having relatively large diametral size;

Figure 15 is a fragmentary sectional View taken along the line l5-l5i of Figure 14;

Figure 16 is a fragmentary sectional view of a modified form of mandrel construction and sensitized roll mounting means forming a part of the present invention;

Figures 17 and 13 are transverse sectional views taken along lines il-i'i and i8 -I8, respectively, of Figure 16;

Figure 19 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line iSl-i9 of Figure 18;

Figure 20 is a top plan view of an auxiliary negative holder adapted for use with extremely long negatives;

Figure 21 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along line 2l2! of Figure 20;

Figures 22 and 23 are transverse sectional views taken a ong lines 22-22 and 23-23, respectively, of Figure 21; and

Figure 24 is a transverse sectional view taken along line 2d-2t of Figure 20.

Referring now in more detail and by reference characters to the drawings, which illustrate practical embodiments of the present invention, A designates a cylinder step-up machine having a rectangular horizontal top frame i constructed preferably of welded angle iron and provided at its four corners with vertical depending legs 2 rigidly braced adiacent their lower extremities by horizontal cross beams 53 and side plates Bolted or otherwise rigidly secured upon and extending across the top frame i is cast iron bed plate 5 provided with two precisely mac'hined horizontal surfaces il, l, the surface being of relatively greater area and hi her elevation than the surface "I and being centrally provided with a longitudinally extending dovetail which is, in turn, provided at its outer end with an upstanding stop abutment 9 Slidably mounted for movement into various relative positions along the surface 5 is a l of mandrel supporting slides iii, i5, integrahy provided at their lower extremities with shoe DO UODS I I, i I, having precisely machined dovetall grooves i2, I2, for complementary sliding engagement with the male dovetail 8. Working within the grooves 52, K2, are looking wedges i3, actuated by locking screws it, is, whereby the slides ill, iii, may be locked rigidly at any suitable position along the male dovetail The slides ill, iii, are furthermore provided at their upper ends with precisely aligned and concentric, horizontally extending bearing apertures 55, iii, and horizontal top faces i6, E6, the latter being provided with precisely machined grooves ll, ll, the center lines of which are disposed vertically above and in precise alignment with the axial line of the bearing apertures l5, I5.

Removably and shiftably mounted in the slides it, ill, equidistantly on opposite sides of the grooves ll, ill, and extending vertically upwardly above the top surfaces 46, it, are pairs of posts 58, 58', the upper ends of which are diametraliy reduced in the provision of mounting studs it, it, for receiving a plurality of spacing collars 253. At their upper ends, the mounting studs I9, iii, are threaded for receiving wing nuts 26 and washers 22 by which the collars 253 may be held in place. Also provided for precisely fitting slidable disposition upon the pairs of mounting studs l9, l9, and l9, it, are clamping bridges 23, and precisely pinned upon the under faces of each of the bridges 23 ar centering blocks as adapted to fit loosely within the grooves i'l, ll. Upon their upper faces, each of the bridges 23 is provided with an upwardly extending threaded post 25 for receiving a wing nut 26 and washer 21.

At their lower ends, the posts it, ill, project into suitably formed recesses 5c and ride upon circular eccentric collars 2? pinned to shafts 27!" which are rotatably mounted in and extend horizontally through the slides til, it. Thus, the pairs of posts l8, 58, may be simultaneously lifted by rotation of the shafts 2?".

Formed integrally with, and extending forwardly from, the centering block 2d, is a clamp ing tongue 28, the upper surface of which is arcuately ground to the mean radius of the printing rollers for which the machine A is primarily designed, and loosely mounted upon the threaded posts 25 are clamping blocks 29 each having a pair of forwardly extending clamping fingers 3!) ground upon their under faces to the same radius asthe upper face of the tongue 28 and spaced from each other in the provision of a slot through which it is possible to observe an indexing mark or line 252 etched or otherwise suitably engraved upon the upper face of the clamping tongue 28. It should be noted in this connection that this indexing mark 32 is precisely aligned with the center line of the bearing apertures l5, l5.

Bolted or otherwise secured upon the upper face of the surface 5 is a head stool: integrally provided with a horizontally disposed cylinder 3% closed at outer by an end plate 35. Slida'oly mounted in, and extending through, the end plate 35 is a plunger rod 315 integrally provided interiorly of the cylinder 3d with a diametrally enlarged plunger portion 3'. and having an outwardly projecting tapered locking tongue 35. Between the inner faces of the end plate 35 and plunger portion 3! is a spiral compression spring 39 for normally urging the locking tongue out- Wardly from the cylinder At its upper end. the head stock 33 is provided with a horizontally extending roller bearing it co-axially aligned with the bearing apertures i5, iii, of the slides H1, 18, all as best seen in Figure 2.

Also rigidly mounted upon the surface '1 and spaced inwar ly from the head stool: is an auxiliary supporting post 5i provided at its upper end with a roller bearing 42 likewise co-axially aligned with the bearing apertures 55, i5, and roller bearing Rotatably mounted within the bearings fill, 12?, i5, and i5, is a mandrel 3 pro vided along that portion of its length extending between the head stock 33 and auxiliary support ing post 4| with a large disk-like positioning collar 44 having a plurality of equally spaced annularly arranged tapered apertures 55, each adapted to receive the tapered locking tongue 38, the collar 44 being positively held in concentric position upon the mandrel d3 by means of Lewis keys 45. It will, of course, be apparent that when the positioning collar 44 is securely locked in place, the mandrel 43 may be rotated step by step. Mounted upon the upper face of the head stock 33, is an L-shaped guide arm M having a vertical leg 48 provided at its upper extremity with an arcuately ground guide recess 49 for precise alignment with the several apertures so that the aperture observe that the positioning collar 44 is accurately locked in any one of its several predetermined positions.

At equally spaced intervals on either side of the male dovetail 8, the surface 6 is provided with vertical drill holes and adapted for disposition on opposite sides of the male dovetail 8, are pairs of adjustable vacuum frame posts 5! having downwardly projecting pins 52 adapted to fit snugly within any one of the drill holes 59. It will thus be evident that the pairs vacuum frame posts 5% can be shifted to any one of the drill holes 53 so as to be loctaed in different relative positions to each other, depending upon the relative positions of the slides, iii, t. RotataToly mounted in, and extending horizontally through, the pairs of posts 55, are shafts provided with suitable set collars by which they are held against longitudinal movement. Also adjustably mounted upon the shaft 59, are pairs of vacuum frame blocks to adiustably provided with outwardly extending arms 55, which are, in turn, bent over at their outer ends and provided with horizontal legs 5?. Roclraoly mounted upon the legs 5'5, are vacuum frames 53 ccmprising a horizontal bar 55-9 provided on its expo ed face with a cementitiously secured soft rubber contact shoe 55 having an externally presented continuous peripheral lip 51 and an elongated oval-shaped channel or groove =32 formed in its outer face and communicating an aperture 53 with a flexible vacuum line which is secured by means of a suitable threaded fit 3-5 in the bar 59 and extends downwardly to the suction connection 56 of a conventional motor driven vacuum pump assembly 6?, which is, in turn, mounted upon the frame braces Swingably mounted upon the inner face of the slides 5i, equidistantly on opposite sides of the center line thereof, are blocks 55 and adjustably mounted therein are rods 69 bent over at their upper ends and provided with small horizontally disposed rollers H3 for receiving loop-shaped rubber sealing bands 1 i, all as best seen in Figure 7 for purposes presently more fully appearing.

Provided for snug fitting slidable and rotatdisposition upon the mandrel 63 is a pair of suction rings provided at one end with a plurality of annularly spaced set screws '53 by which the suction rings may be clamped at any relative position along the portion of the mandrel 43 between the slides iii, if). Upon their inwardly presented side faces, the suction rings are provided with projecting pins 14 adapted to fit snugly within positioning slots formed in the annular edges of the sensitized printing roll R. Intermediate its ends, each suction ring is provided with an annular suction groove i5 for receiving a rubber sealing ring ll. The outer circumferential face of a portion of the ring 12 between the grooves 76 and the inner end thereof is provided with an annular upstanding band '58 which is in turn radially drilled at equidistantly spaced intervals in the formation of radial suction ports is all connected inwardly of the ring by an annularly milled or undercut suction channel 58, the exposed side of which is sealed by the side face of the sealing ring 11.

In actual use, the sensitized roller R is slipped over the mandrel 43 and locked in place therein by means of the suction rings 12. The slides ID, it are adjusted with respect to each other and the rest of the printing roller R, and locked in place. It will, of course, be understood, that the cylinder step-up machine will-be located in a dark room so that the sensitized roller R can be handled without premature exposure.

Meanwhile, a suitable negative N has been prepared in a drafting room by direct drawing upon a transparency or by any conventional photographic method. The design is laid out, so that the negative bears center line marks m which are aligned with the marks 32 on the clamping tongues and the clamping fingers are forced down into tight engagement upon the upper face of the negative N by means of the wing nuts 21, thereby clamping the negative N tightly and securely in place such position that its center line is precisely and accurately disposed in alignment with the center line of the mandrel 43, as best seen in Figure 2.

Thereupon, the free longitudinal margins of the negative N may be manually bent down and around the sensitized printing roller R, so that the negative N lies directly upon the sensitized surface thereof. The vacuum frames 53 are thereupon swung from the position shown in dotted lines to the position shown in full lines in Figure 7, so that the longitudinal margins of the negative N extend into, but not across, the recesses of the vaci frames 58. Furthermore, the recess extends outwardly so as to include and communicate with at least one of the suction ports is of each sealing ring 12. The negative N extends over the band 18 upon the surface of the rubber gasket ring '5'! and covers a number of such suction ports 19:. In this position, the vacuum frames 58 are locked in place and the arms 59 are swung upwardly to such a position that the rubber rings ll extend across and close to the remaining suction ports il which are not closed by the vacuum frames 58 and negative N. Thereuipon, the vacuum pump is turned on and all of the air sucked out from between the inner face of the negative N and the outer face of the sensitized roller R, so that the negative N will be held in intimate smooth contact throughout its entire area with the sensitized surface of the roller R, by means of external atmospheric pressure. While held such position, the exposure light within the dark room may be turned on a calculated interval of time, exposing one segmental section f the sensitized roller R, through the light transmitting portions 11 of the design on the negative N. Thereupon, with the room again in darkened condition, the vacuum pump 51 is turned off and the vacuumirames 53 withdrawn, thereby releasing the negative N. The plunger rod 35 is then pulled outwardly, withdrawing the tapered tongue 33 from engagement in one of the apertures 4:5 of the positionin collar t4 and the mandrel as may thereupon be rotated by rotation of the positioning collar 44 until the next adjacent aperture is aligned with the locking tongue 38, whereupon the plunger 3% may be released, so that the positioning collar at and the mandrel 33 will again be locked in the next succeeding position. The negative N may then again be clamped into proper position for exposure and exposed. This operation may be repeated for the necessary number of times to completely expose all of the several segments of the sensitized roller 3. to produce the desired number of repeats thereon.

It will be apparent that any drafting or mechanical errors in either the design on the negative N or in the sensitized roller R will be uniforrnly distributed throughout all of the repeats and will thus be reduced to an almost unnoticeable quantity. Furthermore, the center line or" 23 may be moved upwardly, so that the center line of the upwardly presented clamping face of the clamping tongue 28 is dispcsedat the proper radial distance from the center line of the mandrel l3 and again securely held in such position by the wing nuts 2!, proper adjustments being made in the vacuum frames 58 and the arms 69, a somewhat differently sized sealing band 7 l being disposed around the rollers iii and a suction ring 12' of suitable diametral size being operatively mounted on the mandrel 3, all as best seen in Figures 14 and 15.

If desired, I may provide a modified form of mechanism for holding the sensitized rolls R as shown in Figures 16 to 19, inclusive. In this modified form, the lon mandrel 43 is omitted and a short arbor shaft 8! is substituted therefor. The arbor shaft 85 is journaled in he head stock 33 and supporting post ill and is keyed to the positioning collar ill in substantially the same manner as the mandrel 43. t one end, the arbor shaft 85 projects a short distance outwardly from the supporting post 4! and is diametrally enlarged in the provision of a socket butt 82. The shaft 8! is furthermore provided with an axial bore 83 extending from end to end and being diametrally enlarged in the region of the socket butt 82 in the provision of a tapered arbor socket 84 adapted for receiving the tapered end 85 of a removable arbor 86, which is axially tapped at its socket-enclosed end for receiving a threaded locking rod Bl which extends through the bore 83 and projects outwardly at the opposite end of the shaft ill, being provided at such projecting end with a large knurled knob 88. Just inwardly of the knob 88, the rod 8? is provided with a washer 89 and a locking nut 96.

The arbor 86 extends axially outwardly from the socket 84 through shiftable sleeves 92, which, in turn, extend rotatably and shir'tably through bearing collars 93 mounted in and projecting through the slides H3, H3, and being provided at their outer projecting ends with set collars 94, On' their inwardly projectingends, the bearing collars 93 are integrally provided with diametrally enlarged annular flanges 95 having a plurality of annularly spaced axially projecting pins 96 which work reciprocably in axially extending drill holes 9'! formed in the slides iii, no, in alignment with the pins 96 and housing compression springs 98 by which the pins 96 and the associated bearing collars 93 are urged inwardly with respect to the slides l5, l0, thereby allowing for a limited amount of axial shiftin movement or end play therein. The end portions 99 of the bearing collars 93 are externally machined to snugly accommodate the suction ring 52'. It should be noted that the slides 59, it, will be set so that the axial distance between the opposing ends of the suction rings '22 is slightly less than the overall length of the sensitized roll which is to be processed and the springs will thereby be slightly compressed to take up this difference in length adjustment. Consequently, the suction rings 12 will be held against the sensitized. roll with a limited amount of axial pressure.

Provided for snug-fitting shiftable disposition upon the arbor 8&1, is a plurality of sleeves we each provided integrally at one end with a diametrally enlarged flange Elli which is counterbored, as at I02, to fit telescopically around the unflanged end of any one of the other sleeves ltd. Mounted snugly on and around the outside of each of the sleeves N30, is a relatively thick-Walled rubber sleeve H13 having an external diametral size slightly greater than the external diametral size of the flanges l5! and slightly smaller than the standard inside diametral size of the sensitized roller R which is to be processed on the machine. The rubber sleeves furthermore abut at one end against the inside radial face of the flange it! and at the other end are flush with the end face of the sleeve use. It should be noted in this connection that the sleeves 5 so are made up in vari ous different lengths, so that, by assembling them in various arrangements and combinations, it will be possible to accommodate sensitized rolls of various different lengths. It will, of course, be evident that a set of such sleeves m8 and matching suction rings 12' must be made up having inside and outside diametral sizes to match and accommodate sensitized rollers R of various selected diametralsizes.

Also provided for disposition upon the arbor 86 is an adapter ring l4 substantially similar to the flanges ifll of the sleeves H39 except that it is counterbored upon both of its radial faces for accommodating the unflanged ends of the sleeves Hill. This adapter ring Hi l may be placed on the arbor approximately midway of the sensitized roller B so as to permit a symmetrical rrangement of sleeves iflll. The arbor 85 fur thermore is threaded at its free end I05 and is provided with a tightening nut m6. Thus, when a plurality of appropriately sized sleeves Hill are in place on the arbor 86 and a sensitized roller R is mounted therearound, the nut E96 may be tightened down, shifting the sleeve 92 inwardly and forcing each one of the sleeves its inwardly into the counterbored recesses W2 and thereby imposing axial pressure more or less uniformly upon all of the rubber sleeves its and causing the latter to bow or belly outwardly into tight gripping engagement with the roller R. Preferably, the endmost sleeve it!) is provided with a key ill! by which it is tightly held to the arbor 86, so that the entire assembly will be held nonrotatably thereon.

In order to provide for the use of very long negatives and corresponding sensitized rollers, the bridges 23 may be provided with upstanding lugs Hi3 having upwardly opening vertical slots [Q9 provided with set screws iii). The lugs 598 are mounted on their respective bridges 23 in such a manner that the slots it'll are in precise alignment lengthwise of the machine. Removably secured within the slots its by means of the set screws i I is a long straight support bar ii i preferably of rectangular cross-section and being provided on one vertical face with an ou wardly projecting tongue H2 for shiftably accommodating a complementarily grooved barshaped auxiliary holder H3. The bar H is furthermore provided in the region of the tongue H2 with two longitudinally spaced slots lid for shiftably accommodating retainer bolts 55 which extend therethrough and are threaded into the auxiliary holder 1 $23. It will thus be evident that the bolts 155 may be loosened and the auxiliary holder H3 shifted through a fairly extensive cf len thwise adjustment along the tongue H2 of the support bar i i.

The auxiliary holder H3 projects laterally from the support bar 5! i and extends across the center line of the machine, as defined by the index marks 32 of the clamping tongues 28, and is "ovided with three rectan ular apertures i 56 extending therethrough from top to bottom and located at more or less uniformly spaced intervals therealong. Mounted across the bottoms of the apertures iiii, are sight glasses ill. The under faces of the si ht glasses ill are all disposed in a common plane spaced slightly downwardly from the under face of the auxiliary H3 so as to rest nea'ly upon the upper face of the negative N when the latter is mounted in operative position. The sight glasses ill furthermore are provided with longitudinally extending hairline scratches H8, all precisely aligned with the indexing marks 32, as best seen in Figure and for purposes presently more fully appearing.

Upon its under face, the auxiliary holder H3 is provided with a plurality of vertical drill holes H9 counterbored at their lower ends to receive tubular rubber shoes 12! the latter terminating at their ends in the same planes as the under faces of the sight glasses ill. The several drill holes H53 are laterally connected by horizontal drill holes 52! and a laterally milled channel 522, which in turn, for machining convenience, covered by a rectangular closure plate i23. Mounted in the auxiliary holder H3 and opening to the channel 122 is a tube I24 connected by a rubber hose I25 to the suction pump manifold 66.

When a long negative N and correspondingly long roller R are being processed, the negative may be mounted in the bridges 23 in the manner previously described. Because of its length, the negative may tend to bow in one direction or the other and produce inaccurate results unless supported intermediate its ends. Accordingly, the bar I H and auxiliary holder H3 are installed in the lugs 19% and the negative is provided at several points intermediate its ends with short continuations of its center line. These short continuations will be accurately brought into coincidence with the hairline scratches H8 and the suction applied through the holder H3, thereby holding the negative N in true and straight alignment throughout its length. I will, of course, be understood that when the ends of the negative N are folded down around the cylinder or roller R and held in operative position by the vacuum frames the suction on the auxiliary holder 523 may be turned oil and the auxiliary holder removed from the lugs IE8 while the exposure is being made. As soon as the exposure has been completed, the support bar i l i and auxiliary holder 553 are replaced and the suction again turned on, so that the negative N will be again held true alignment thereby, whereupon the vacuum frames 58 may be released, freeing the negative N and permitting the cylinder or roller R. to be rotated stepwise to its next position for the next exposure.

It should be understood that changes and modifications n the form, construction, arrangent, and combination of the several parts of the cylinder step-up machine may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A photo-composing machine for stepping up a film negative upon a photo-sensitized printing roller comprising a frame having spaced parallel bearings, a mandrel rotatably mounted upon and extending through said bearings for concentrically receiving and supporting said roller, means associated with said mandrel for optionally holding said mandrel in one of a series of selected positions of rotation, rings mounted on the mandrel for endwise engagement with the roller, said rings having a plurality of suction ports, means for holding a film nega tive over the mandrel so that the center line of the negative is disposed accurately in spaced parallel relation to the center line of the mandrel and the end margins project over the rings, lon itudinally extending suction members for releasaoly holding the longitudinal margins of the film negative in closely conformed overlying relationshipupon the roller, and means for dra ing air from between the negative and roller by suction exertion through the suction ports of the rings and through the suction members.

2. A photo-composing machine for stepping up a negative upon a photo-sensitized printing roller comprising a frame having spaced parallel bearings, a mandrel rotatably mounted upon and extending through said bearings for concentrically receiving and supporting said roller, means associated with said mandrel for optionally holding said mandrel in any one of a series of selected positions of rotation, means for marginally gripping a film negative and holding it over the mandrel so that the center line of the negative is disposed accurately in spaced parallel relation to the center line or" the mandrel, and suction means for withdrawing the air from between the film negative and the roller so that atmospheric pressure upon the outer face of the negative will force the negative into closely conformed or ying relationship upon the roller.

3. A photo-composing machine for stepping up a film negative upon a photo-sensitized printing roller comprising a frame having spaced parllel bearings, suction rings carried by the bearings, a mandrel rotatably mounted upon and extending through said bearings for concentrically receiving and supporting said roller, means associated with said mandrel for optionally holding said mandrel in any one of a series of selected positions of rotation, means for holding a film negative over the mandrel so that the center line of the negative is disposed accurately in spaced parallel relation to the center line of the mandrel and the transverse margins thereof extend over the suc ion rings, suction b rs for releasably holding the longitudinal margins of the filrn negative down upon the roller, and means for applying suction to the rings and bars for withdrawing air from between the negative and the roller.

4, A photo-composing machine including a supporting frame, a mandrel rotatably mounted in said frame, a collar mounted concentrically on said mandrel and having an annular series of uniformly spaced apertures, a locking pin on the frame en ageahle within any one of said apertures for optionally holding said mandrel in any one of a series of selected positions, a pair of film holders spaced from each other lengthwise of the mandrel, a single clamp on each film holder, said clamps'having their center lines precisely aligned with the center line of the mandrel and with each other, rings mounted on the mandrel for endwise engagement with the roller, said rings having a plurality of suction ports, means for holding a film negative over the mandrel so that the center line of the negative is disposed accurately in spaced parallel relation to the center line of the mandrel and the end margins proiect over the longitudinally extending suction members for releasably holding the longitudinal margins of the film negative in closely formed overlying relationship upon the roller, and means for drawing air from between the negative and roller by suction exertio through the suction of the rings and through the suction members.

5. A photo-composing machine including a supporting frame, a mandrel rotatably mounted in said frame, a collar mounted concentrically on said mandrel and having an annular series of uniformly spaced apertures, a locking pin on the frame engageable within any one of said apertures for optionally holding said mandrel in any one of a series of selected positions, a pair of film holders spaced from eachuother lengthwise of the mandrel, a single clamp on each film holder, said clamps having their center lines precisely aligned with the center line of the mandrel and with each other, rings mounted on the mandrel for endwise engagement with the roller, said rings having a plurality of suction ports, film holders mounted on the frame and having clamp members adapted to grip only the. central portions of transverse margins of the negative leaving the lengthwise margins free to be moved down manually into operative position against the roller, said clamps being positioned accurately in spaced parallel relation to the center line of the mandrel and the end margins project over the rings, longitudinally extending suction members for releasably holding the longitudinal margins of the film negative in closely formed overlying relationship upon the roller, and means for drawing air from between the negative and roller by suction exertion through the suction ports of the rings and through the suction members.

6. A photo-composing machine including a supporting frame, a mandrel rotatably mounted in said frame, a collar mounted concentrically on said mandrel and having an annular series of uniformly spaced apertures, a locking pin on the frame engageable within any one of said apertures for optionally holding said mandrel in any one of a series of selected positions, a pair of film holders spaced from each other lengthwise of the mandrel, a single clamp on each film holder, said clamps having their center lines precisely aligned with the center line of the mandrel and with each other, rings mounted on the mandrel for endwise engagement with the roller, said rings having a plurality of suction ports, means for holdin a film negative over the mandrel so that the center line of the negative is disposed accurately in spaced parallel relation to the center line of the mandrel and the end margins project over the rings, longitudinally extending suction members for releasably holding the longitudinal margins of the film negative in closely formed overlying relationship upon the roller, said suction members extending at their ends over the rings and being in communication with the suction ports thereof, and means for drawing air from between the negative and roller by suction exertion through the suction ports of the rings and through the suction members.

'7. A photo-composing machine including a supporting frame, a mandrel rotatably mounted in said frame, a collar mounted concentrically on said mandrel and having an annular series of uniformly spaced apertures, a locking pin on the frame engageable within any one of said apertures for optionally holding said mandrel in any one of a series of selected positions, a

' pair of film holders spaced from each other lengthwise of the mandrel, a Single clamp on each film holder, said clamps having their center lines precisely aligned with the center line of the mandrel and with each other, rings mounted on the mandrel for endwise engagement with the roller, said rings having a plurality of suction ports each connected with the other interiorly of the ring, means for holding a film negative over the mandrel so that the center line of the negative is disposed accurately in spaced parallel relation to the center line of the mandrel and the end margins project over the rings, longitudinally extending suction members for releasably holding the longitudinal margins of the film negative in closely formed overlying relationship upon the roller, said suction members extending at their ends over the rings and being in communication with the suction ports thereof, and means for drawing air from between the negative and roller by suction exertion through the suction ports of the rings and through the suction members.

8. A photo-composing machine for stepping-up a film negative upon a photosensitized film roller, comprising a frame having spaced parallel bearings, a mandrel rotatably mounted upon and extending through said bearings for concentri cally receiving and supporting said roller, means for marginally gripping a film negative and holding it over the mandrel, a pair of suction rings slidably fitted upon said mandrel and disposed for rotation therewith, said suction rings being provided with a plurality of radial suction ports, longitudinally extending suction members adapted to engage the longitudinal margins of the negative and simultaneously seal the suction ports adjacent the longitudinal'margins of the negative, and a loop-shaped sealing band disposed between said suction members and 13 adapted to seal the suction ports disposed be- Number tween said suction members. 2,091,280 THEODORE HOMMEL 2,174,882 2,338,878 REFERENCES CITED 5 2,387,421 The following references are of record in the file of this patent: 1

Numoer UNITED STATES PATENTS 551,735 Number Name Date 10 460,848

1,978,736 Bommer Oct. 30, 1934 Name Date Huebner Aug. 31, 1937 Huebner Oct. 3, 1939 Stead Jan. 11, 1944 Bergh Oct. 23, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Germany June 4, 1932 Great Britain Feb. 4, 1937 

